LCDC attends Mr Roy Ellis Funeral
Yesterday, on behalf of my members, I attended the funeral of the former Head of the Public Carriage Office, Mr Roy Ellis.
To drivers like myself, Mr Ellis was at the helm of the old PCO ( under the Met Police ) and had the unenviable task at the time of not only taking the taxi trade away from the Met and taking us into the newly formed TFL, but also had the task of licensing the Private Hire fraternity which could not have been easy for anyone in trying to strike a balance.
I only got to know Mr Ellis in later years where TFL brought him and Sandie Kennedy back into the fold to hear personal appeal hearings on drivers who may have had their licenses revoked.
I must say, I always found him firm but fair in the hearings in which I represented drivers and he was always conscious of the consequences for the drivers and their families if they lost their license.
In the World of faceless Tfl “Managers” which now have to deal with, Roy was always open for a quick chat after the hearing and always wanted to catch up on trade news and ask me for a copy of the latest Badge Newspaper.
I jokingly told him not to let TFL Managers see him reading a copy as that would be classes as insubordination.
It is a crying shame Tfl had stopped Mr Ellis and Mr Kennedy hearing appeals and instead want to use another Tfl member of staff to hear the appeals…. I’m guessing they can be Judge, Jury and now hang man all in one go.
The trade is changing and the old “faces” I grew up with in this fantastic trade are slowly diminishing.
Farewell Roy from all of us.
